Steve found a fur lined hat and mitts so he bought them. We later found a nice wooden walking stick then he went back and bought some winter boots. At least we know he will be warm this winter.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Smart Cars
We had fun day. I own a yellow Smart Car and there was a Smart Car Meet & Greet today. We met down in the south end of town then all 5 cars drove to Banff. Most of the group went river rafting but Steve was not up to it so we went into the town site and meandered around. We stopped a few times for photo shoots as you can see – aren’t we cute (or geeks!)?
Steve found a fur lined hat and mitts so he bought them. We later found a nice wooden walking stick then he went back and bought some winter boots. At least we know he will be warm this winter.
Steve found a fur lined hat and mitts so he bought them. We later found a nice wooden walking stick then he went back and bought some winter boots. At least we know he will be warm this winter.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Wedding Stress Already??
Melissa phoned me this evening and told me that she & Ryan have put down the deposit on the restaurant and they have booked the photographer. I did remind her to book a marriage commissioner. There is little point in having a reception and a photographer if there is nobody to actually marry them!
She then told me that she had a weird dream last night. Their wedding ended up being at our church but it had a circus theme that apparently I had arranged. As she went down the hallway, she met her previous boyfriend (it was a good thing he is very previous!) with his mother.
Anyway, I told her that a circus theme is probably not what I would have chosen but there you go. Maybe I just needed some more inspiration - look what I found at Favor Ideas:
"Clowning Around
And for the little kid in each of us ... a circus theme wedding! This would be a great outdoor event and would be entertaining for adults and kids alike. Picture your yard with loads of balloons under colorful canopies. Strolling clowns making balloon characters, a face painter and a magician that would go to each table dazzling guests with tricks and illusions. Rent a popcorn and cotton candy cart to complete the theme.
For centerpieces, consider confetti, clown shoes filled with candy or balloon-animal arrangements. For invitations, make circus posters of flyers inviting your guests to "The Greatest Show on Earth." Or have a friend dress like a clown and hand deliver your invitations, enclosed in a clear balloon with plenty of streamers, to your guests front door."
We are tentatively planning to go to Toronto in November to go wedding dress shopping. Mel needs to book time off work (and considering she was off for almost 3 months with her broken arms...) so until she has the okay to be away for a few days, we will have to wait. I think that once a date is chosen, she can start to make appointments at the shops she wants to look at so we aren’t wasting time.
I can see that the next 9 months are going to be interesting. At least I know that I don’t have to plan a circus theme wedding because apparently I have already done but it was not a success.
She then told me that she had a weird dream last night. Their wedding ended up being at our church but it had a circus theme that apparently I had arranged. As she went down the hallway, she met her previous boyfriend (it was a good thing he is very previous!) with his mother.
Anyway, I told her that a circus theme is probably not what I would have chosen but there you go. Maybe I just needed some more inspiration - look what I found at Favor Ideas:
"Clowning Around
And for the little kid in each of us ... a circus theme wedding! This would be a great outdoor event and would be entertaining for adults and kids alike. Picture your yard with loads of balloons under colorful canopies. Strolling clowns making balloon characters, a face painter and a magician that would go to each table dazzling guests with tricks and illusions. Rent a popcorn and cotton candy cart to complete the theme.
For centerpieces, consider confetti, clown shoes filled with candy or balloon-animal arrangements. For invitations, make circus posters of flyers inviting your guests to "The Greatest Show on Earth." Or have a friend dress like a clown and hand deliver your invitations, enclosed in a clear balloon with plenty of streamers, to your guests front door."
We are tentatively planning to go to Toronto in November to go wedding dress shopping. Mel needs to book time off work (and considering she was off for almost 3 months with her broken arms...) so until she has the okay to be away for a few days, we will have to wait. I think that once a date is chosen, she can start to make appointments at the shops she wants to look at so we aren’t wasting time.
I can see that the next 9 months are going to be interesting. At least I know that I don’t have to plan a circus theme wedding because apparently I have already done but it was not a success.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Healthy or Not?
My leg is much better but it is still a bit discoloured however there is no sign of infection so that is good. The antibiotics leave a dreadful taste in my mouth so I will be happy to take the last of them on Friday.
I did something to my shoulder a few months ago – it is fine most of the time but if I move suddenly in the wrong direction, it hurts. My GP gave me a note to go to physio. The last time I went, a few years ago for osteoarthritis in my knee, I never really felt they did anything for me. After several weeks of visits, my knee was no better but no worse. Anyway, this time I got busy and hadn’t made an appointment.
Both Steve and James have been suggesting I see their chiropractor. Neither of my parents believed in chiropractors so I did not hold them in high esteem. On the basis that my shoulder was not getting better with me being careful to rest it and not wanting to go to physio again, I thought I would take a chance.
I went in on Monday and he did an exam and a set of ex-rays. While running his hands over my neck and back I got a few “oh, dear”, one “Oh Man” and a “WOW”. I assumed that was not a good sign. Sure enough, when I went back on Tuesday for a follow-up, Dr. Sandy doesn’t seem to think that I had any neck or spine areas that are working as they should. He showed me my ex-rays and even to my untrained eye, they did not look like the nice pictures on the wall!
He has used an interesting machine on my back and neck. It feels like a very gentle pneumatic drill – very strange but not uncomfortable. Apparently it vibrates at 12 revolutions per second because, Dr. Sandy says, 12 is the “magic” number.
With luck, after the proposed treatment plan, I won’t have shoulder pain and the muscles in my neck won’t be as tight. As this will all take 2-3 months, I guess I will just have to be patient and wait.
Both Steve and James have been suggesting I see their chiropractor. Neither of my parents believed in chiropractors so I did not hold them in high esteem. On the basis that my shoulder was not getting better with me being careful to rest it and not wanting to go to physio again, I thought I would take a chance.
I went in on Monday and he did an exam and a set of ex-rays. While running his hands over my neck and back I got a few “oh, dear”, one “Oh Man” and a “WOW”. I assumed that was not a good sign. Sure enough, when I went back on Tuesday for a follow-up, Dr. Sandy doesn’t seem to think that I had any neck or spine areas that are working as they should. He showed me my ex-rays and even to my untrained eye, they did not look like the nice pictures on the wall!
He has used an interesting machine on my back and neck. It feels like a very gentle pneumatic drill – very strange but not uncomfortable. Apparently it vibrates at 12 revolutions per second because, Dr. Sandy says, 12 is the “magic” number.
With luck, after the proposed treatment plan, I won’t have shoulder pain and the muscles in my neck won’t be as tight. As this will all take 2-3 months, I guess I will just have to be patient and wait.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Family Stories
On April 13, 1918 my maternal grandparents Ethel (Granny) and James (Poppy) got married.
In April 1920 their first child, Gordon was born.
On October 16, 1920, the miners in Lancashire went on strike. Both Granny and Poppy’s families had been miners for several generations. The strike ended by November 3, 1920, but it made my grandparents to believe that they needed to move. Three weeks of no income long before the days of employment insurance, and with a new baby, would not have been easy. Granny’s brother, Jim, had come to Canada a few years earlier and had a good job with the Harbour Board in Montreal. Uncle Jim told Poppy that he would help him get a job in Canada if he decided to come.
As a complete aside, A.A. Milne’s son, Christopher Robin, was born in 1920.
My mom, Doreen, was born in July 1922.
In April 1923, Poppy decided to cross the ocean and take his chances on Canada. While I was at my mom’s in July, I found a photocopy of Poppy’s letter to Granny from the ship. Unfortunately, it did not scan well but it was so enjoyable to read.
Poppy also sang on the ship on the way over.
Finding these odd pieces of paper made me so glad that I actually went through everything while we were clearing paper rather than just throwing everything out.
More will follow!
In April 1920 their first child, Gordon was born.
On October 16, 1920, the miners in Lancashire went on strike. Both Granny and Poppy’s families had been miners for several generations. The strike ended by November 3, 1920, but it made my grandparents to believe that they needed to move. Three weeks of no income long before the days of employment insurance, and with a new baby, would not have been easy. Granny’s brother, Jim, had come to Canada a few years earlier and had a good job with the Harbour Board in Montreal. Uncle Jim told Poppy that he would help him get a job in Canada if he decided to come.
As a complete aside, A.A. Milne’s son, Christopher Robin, was born in 1920.
My mom, Doreen, was born in July 1922.
In April 1923, Poppy decided to cross the ocean and take his chances on Canada. While I was at my mom’s in July, I found a photocopy of Poppy’s letter to Granny from the ship. Unfortunately, it did not scan well but it was so enjoyable to read.
Poppy also sang on the ship on the way over.Finding these odd pieces of paper made me so glad that I actually went through everything while we were clearing paper rather than just throwing everything out.
More will follow!
I don't like spiders
On Thursday afternoon, my leg was really itchy. I thought I had a bad mosquito bite although it had a black head rather than the regular red top. I was pretty sure I hadn’t scratched enough to make it bleed but it was possible.
Friday morning, at work, I realized that the itchy spot, rather than being the size of a loonie like Thursday evening, was now about 4” by 6”. I was showing a co-worker and she suggested that it might be a spider bite so we Googled it and it did look somewhat similar.
I called my GP but he is away for a few days so I decided to go to the walk-in clinic. The doctor there said that it did look like a spider bite but apparently they usually take about 48 hours to show up. Because I take Willow for a walk each morning up our back field, I probably got it there.
Anyway, the doctor couldn’t decide if I had an infection or an allergic reaction so I am on antibiotics as well as antihistamines. Now that I have 2 days of antibiotics and about 6 doses of Benadryl cream on me, I feel much better - my leg is not as itchy, it doesn’t feel as hot and it is not as swollen as it was but it does still look awful.
Friday morning, at work, I realized that the itchy spot, rather than being the size of a loonie like Thursday evening, was now about 4” by 6”. I was showing a co-worker and she suggested that it might be a spider bite so we Googled it and it did look somewhat similar.
I called my GP but he is away for a few days so I decided to go to the walk-in clinic. The doctor there said that it did look like a spider bite but apparently they usually take about 48 hours to show up. Because I take Willow for a walk each morning up our back field, I probably got it there.
Anyway, the doctor couldn’t decide if I had an infection or an allergic reaction so I am on antibiotics as well as antihistamines. Now that I have 2 days of antibiotics and about 6 doses of Benadryl cream on me, I feel much better - my leg is not as itchy, it doesn’t feel as hot and it is not as swollen as it was but it does still look awful.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Roses
I have a lovely bowl of roses on my desk this morning. When I took Willow out for her morning stretch, I realized that my rose bushes have only a few flowers on them now and I decided that leaving them on the bush at home when I spend most of my waking hours at work made no sense so I quickly cut them off, wrapped them up and brought them in with me. They have a wonderful scent so maybe that will inspire me to excel today.
Happy Wednesday.
Happy Wednesday.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Whatever was he thinking?? and Wedding Plans
Steve and I went out on our weekly breakfast date this morning. Because it was almost 11 before we got there, he decided to have soup and a bun while I had a breakfast favourite – Eggs Benedict.
On the way home, we passed a bakery so we went inside. Steve got some Russian Rye bread, a pretzel and 2 vanilla slices/Napoleon/milles feuilles.
After we got home, I started to clean house but I decided to start in the laundry room because it needed it. When I came upstairs , Steve said he wasn’t feeling well because he thought he had too many carbs – Ya think!! He ate 2 slices of bread and an entire vanilla slice himself! That doesn’t sound like much but when you are diabetic, this will never be found on any recommended diet plan.
I am beginning to wonder if he even wants to be able to attend Melissa’s wedding!
Speaking of the wedding, I met with Mel for lunch yesterday. Lake Louise is now out and a downtown restaurant is the current choice. She and Ryan are hoping to keep the attendance down to 60 people but that may prove to be rather challenging. Ryan’s dad has a whole list of people/relatives he thinks need to be invited so….
Mel is planning to order her table centre pieces online from Die Blume. I think it is a great idea because she can order now so they can be paid for long before the wedding and that is just one more thing out of the way. The prices seem quite reasonable and apparently she is willing to do custom orders. Mel has decided she wants peonies, hydrangeas, and dogwood so her colours, at least this week, will be light pink, light green, ivory and chocolate brown.
She is currently thinking about getting a “tea length” gown rather than a full gown. With having a breakfast wedding and planning to have pictures taken downtown around lunch time, I think that is a good idea because trying to get around with a full length gown is a challenge at the best of times, let alone when you are trying to avoid the lunch crowd.
Because of her accident, she was not able to get much, or any, exercise this summer so her goal to lose a bit of weight and trim up was not met. She is hoping that this fall she will be more successful. Unfortunately she has to do four courses before February in order to graduate with her class – three new classes and one she failed. She’s not quite sure where she will fit in wedding fittings until that is over so her selection might be limited – she simply won’t have time for a 6 month wait.
It is hard to admit that I have a double standard but this week, for no particular reason, I realized that I do. One of the things I find charming about Melissa is her HUGE plans for anything. A few years ago, she kept saying she wanted to rule the world from Saskatchewan – we had great discussions about how she could go about that. Now there is a wedding to plan and once again, she has huge plans – many of which will never come to fruition. I just nod my head and go along with it. But, when Steve does the same thing (at least I know she comes by it honestly!), it just aggravates me. When he talks about redoing the back yard or painting the house or making a million dollars (well, I don’t quite believe that one), I have great hopes that he will then I am disappointed that it gets started and never finished. For example, we have a partially done mural on the kitchen wall that he started about 10 years ago but has not finished. When he partially repainted the kitchen 4 years ago, he painted around it but he still hasn’t finished it.
He gets mad at me because I do the planning in my head so by the time I say what I want to do, I am going to do it – I am not looking for input, I am ready to go ahead. He likes to discuss matters which drives me insane because I see it as a waste of time if you aren’t going to do it anyway. They say that opposites attract, and at least in this case, that is really true.
On the way home, we passed a bakery so we went inside. Steve got some Russian Rye bread, a pretzel and 2 vanilla slices/Napoleon/milles feuilles.After we got home, I started to clean house but I decided to start in the laundry room because it needed it. When I came upstairs , Steve said he wasn’t feeling well because he thought he had too many carbs – Ya think!! He ate 2 slices of bread and an entire vanilla slice himself! That doesn’t sound like much but when you are diabetic, this will never be found on any recommended diet plan.
I am beginning to wonder if he even wants to be able to attend Melissa’s wedding!
Speaking of the wedding, I met with Mel for lunch yesterday. Lake Louise is now out and a downtown restaurant is the current choice. She and Ryan are hoping to keep the attendance down to 60 people but that may prove to be rather challenging. Ryan’s dad has a whole list of people/relatives he thinks need to be invited so….
Mel is planning to order her table centre pieces online from Die Blume. I think it is a great idea because she can order now so they can be paid for long before the wedding and that is just one more thing out of the way. The prices seem quite reasonable and apparently she is willing to do custom orders. Mel has decided she wants peonies, hydrangeas, and dogwood so her colours, at least this week, will be light pink, light green, ivory and chocolate brown.
She is currently thinking about getting a “tea length” gown rather than a full gown. With having a breakfast wedding and planning to have pictures taken downtown around lunch time, I think that is a good idea because trying to get around with a full length gown is a challenge at the best of times, let alone when you are trying to avoid the lunch crowd.
Because of her accident, she was not able to get much, or any, exercise this summer so her goal to lose a bit of weight and trim up was not met. She is hoping that this fall she will be more successful. Unfortunately she has to do four courses before February in order to graduate with her class – three new classes and one she failed. She’s not quite sure where she will fit in wedding fittings until that is over so her selection might be limited – she simply won’t have time for a 6 month wait.
It is hard to admit that I have a double standard but this week, for no particular reason, I realized that I do. One of the things I find charming about Melissa is her HUGE plans for anything. A few years ago, she kept saying she wanted to rule the world from Saskatchewan – we had great discussions about how she could go about that. Now there is a wedding to plan and once again, she has huge plans – many of which will never come to fruition. I just nod my head and go along with it. But, when Steve does the same thing (at least I know she comes by it honestly!), it just aggravates me. When he talks about redoing the back yard or painting the house or making a million dollars (well, I don’t quite believe that one), I have great hopes that he will then I am disappointed that it gets started and never finished. For example, we have a partially done mural on the kitchen wall that he started about 10 years ago but has not finished. When he partially repainted the kitchen 4 years ago, he painted around it but he still hasn’t finished it.
He gets mad at me because I do the planning in my head so by the time I say what I want to do, I am going to do it – I am not looking for input, I am ready to go ahead. He likes to discuss matters which drives me insane because I see it as a waste of time if you aren’t going to do it anyway. They say that opposites attract, and at least in this case, that is really true.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Good News Day
Melissa went to see the specialist yesterday about her wrist. He said it has healed well so she doesn’t have to have surgery on it – Thank goodness. He took off the cast, gave her a removable splint and sent her on her way. She is due back at work on Monday. I am not sure they will know what to do with her – she had only been at her new job for a few weeks when she got hurt on June 2nd so this will be like starting all over again.
Last night Steve and I went out to Cochrane to see the extractor plant. One of my co-workers lives near the plant and said they were having an open house of sorts so off we went. The tour guide had his wife, daughter and her three children on the bus as well. His grandson, who was about 4 kept asking if they could go and see the fire engines but Grandpa kept having to say no so he was rather disappointed.
I was glad that I had taken an Oil and Gas introductory course earlier this year because the lingo was somewhat familiar to me. NGL doesn’t mean much by itself but I knew it meant Natural Gas Liquids which are Methane, Ethane, Propane, Butane and Pentane. This particular plant extracts the Methane from the NGLs and then sends it down the pipeline to the next processor. Obviously there is a whole lot more to the process than that but it was fascinating.
Steve enjoyed taking some pictures and he is planning to return to take some more. It was good to get him out of the house and doing something different. By the time we got home, even though it was only 9:00, we both fell into bed and were fast asleep by the time our heads hit the pillows - too much fresh air, I guess!
Last night Steve and I went out to Cochrane to see the extractor plant. One of my co-workers lives near the plant and said they were having an open house of sorts so off we went. The tour guide had his wife, daughter and her three children on the bus as well. His grandson, who was about 4 kept asking if they could go and see the fire engines but Grandpa kept having to say no so he was rather disappointed.
I was glad that I had taken an Oil and Gas introductory course earlier this year because the lingo was somewhat familiar to me. NGL doesn’t mean much by itself but I knew it meant Natural Gas Liquids which are Methane, Ethane, Propane, Butane and Pentane. This particular plant extracts the Methane from the NGLs and then sends it down the pipeline to the next processor. Obviously there is a whole lot more to the process than that but it was fascinating.
Steve enjoyed taking some pictures and he is planning to return to take some more. It was good to get him out of the house and doing something different. By the time we got home, even though it was only 9:00, we both fell into bed and were fast asleep by the time our heads hit the pillows - too much fresh air, I guess!
Saturday, August 8, 2009
I'm a member of the MOB
While I was busy travelling across the country, I became a member of an elite group – MOB – otherwise known as the Mother of the Bride. Melissa and Ryan are officially engaged! I knew that they had ordered a ring about the time I left on my adventures but it arrived while I was gone but it now nicely sitting on her finger. When I asked why they didn’t have an “official” engagement date, she said that after all the personal care (cutting food, helping her dress, toileting etc) that Ryan had to provide while she was in her two casts, she didn’t feel they needed to do something extra in order to celebrate. Besides that, she has never been able to keep a secret so when the package arrived, she had to open it. If they have made it this far, I believe they are set for life.
She has decided she wanted to get married at Chateau Lake Louise next May – probably the long weekend. It will be cheaper if they choose a weekday rather than a weekend so that is probably the route they are going.
While John was living in Vancouver, was doing a gemology course and he recommended Blue Nile as having good prices for the quality so they followed his recommendations.
Her ring is quite pretty – she got a cushion cut diamond about ½ carat on a platinum band. It suits her hand nicely. I had never heard about cushion cut until she and Ryan showed me the website where they bought the ring but I think they made an excellent choice.
I guess the next few months are going to be rather chaotic. Appararently she already has her spreadsheets and plans. Wish me luck!
She has decided she wanted to get married at Chateau Lake Louise next May – probably the long weekend. It will be cheaper if they choose a weekday rather than a weekend so that is probably the route they are going.
While John was living in Vancouver, was doing a gemology course and he recommended Blue Nile as having good prices for the quality so they followed his recommendations.
Her ring is quite pretty – she got a cushion cut diamond about ½ carat on a platinum band. It suits her hand nicely. I had never heard about cushion cut until she and Ryan showed me the website where they bought the ring but I think they made an excellent choice.
I guess the next few months are going to be rather chaotic. Appararently she already has her spreadsheets and plans. Wish me luck!
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Minot to Home
We were more than ready to leave Minot on Sunday morning. The hotel had a nice breakfast room and a continental breakfast was included in our room so we had a good start to the day. They even had a self-serve waffle maker! I was laughing at the local newspaper with their photo on the front cover of the arm wrestling championship until I remembered that Calgary is the same during Stampede. People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw rocks.
The closest we came to adventure was when we were crossing the border into Canada. There were no cars in site as we approached but we stopped at the window and had to wait for the guard. We told him we had nothing to declare then he asked if we were using a GPS because he says the only people who come through Estevan are those who have a GPS that is trying to get them lost! We had planned to go through Estevan quite deliberately so we were amused. The crossing guard when we entered the US was a character – we weren’t sure if he was trying to be funny or not so we tried to cooperate but it was weird. I was driving at the time and explained that my mother has lost her license so I was driving her car back to Calgary. I said that Ellie was from Toronto and I was from Calgary so he wanted to know how she was going to get home. I said by plane then he asked if we were employed. I said who I worked for and Ellie said that she was self-employed. He said “Legal or not?” Needless to say, we replied “legal”. His comment then was “It’s okay if you don’t want to tell me what you do”. Ellie said she is an interior designer and that seemed to satisfy him so off we went. Maybe we should have known at that point that our trip would be interesting.
We arrived in Saskatoon mid-afternoon and had a lovely visit with John and Carley. Their new house is quite cute. We had a nice supper then were on our way early Monday morning.
We drove home through Drumheller – the Dinosaur Capital of the World and home of the Royal Tyrrell Museum. The scenery in the area is spectacular. When you drive through the Badlands, it is like being on another planet.
Steve, James and Willow were all quite enthused to see me again. Within a hour of getting home, Melissa and Ryan arrived as well as David and Maria so we had a great return. Poor Willow was so excited that she hasn’t left my side yet. I guess they missed me!
Now that my vacation is over, it is back to the real world.
View Larger Map
The closest we came to adventure was when we were crossing the border into Canada. There were no cars in site as we approached but we stopped at the window and had to wait for the guard. We told him we had nothing to declare then he asked if we were using a GPS because he says the only people who come through Estevan are those who have a GPS that is trying to get them lost! We had planned to go through Estevan quite deliberately so we were amused. The crossing guard when we entered the US was a character – we weren’t sure if he was trying to be funny or not so we tried to cooperate but it was weird. I was driving at the time and explained that my mother has lost her license so I was driving her car back to Calgary. I said that Ellie was from Toronto and I was from Calgary so he wanted to know how she was going to get home. I said by plane then he asked if we were employed. I said who I worked for and Ellie said that she was self-employed. He said “Legal or not?” Needless to say, we replied “legal”. His comment then was “It’s okay if you don’t want to tell me what you do”. Ellie said she is an interior designer and that seemed to satisfy him so off we went. Maybe we should have known at that point that our trip would be interesting.
We arrived in Saskatoon mid-afternoon and had a lovely visit with John and Carley. Their new house is quite cute. We had a nice supper then were on our way early Monday morning.
We drove home through Drumheller – the Dinosaur Capital of the World and home of the Royal Tyrrell Museum. The scenery in the area is spectacular. When you drive through the Badlands, it is like being on another planet.
Steve, James and Willow were all quite enthused to see me again. Within a hour of getting home, Melissa and Ryan arrived as well as David and Maria so we had a great return. Poor Willow was so excited that she hasn’t left my side yet. I guess they missed me!
Now that my vacation is over, it is back to the real world.
View Larger Map
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Hudson, Wisconsin to Minot, North Dakota
After our eventful Thursday and Friday, Saturday was relatively quiet. We left Hudson early in the morning on our third trip through Minneapolis-St. Paul. What we didn’t know was that a part of I-94 through Minneapolis was closed for road work. While their regular road signs were great, their detour signs were not. I guess because the road was only closed sometime between 8:30 pm when we last went through and 7:30 am on a Saturday morning, they thought there wouldn’t be many people affected so the need for signs was not as great.
TomTom, our GPS, didn’t like Minnesota at all – he lost his satellite signal upon entry into Minnesota and didn’t find it again until we got to North Dakota. Every so often he would pipe up and say “Turn left, Turn left, Turn left” when there was no left turn anywhere in site.
We had no idea which way to turn until we spotted a mini-van that was from Minnesota and that seemed to know where to go. Like sheep, we followed the van and sure enough, the driver did know where he/she was going. A few miles north of where we started, the construction workers were pulling aside the barriers so the van was number one and we were number two on a nice newly paved road.
Instead of taking a diagonal path across North Dakota, we decided to go to Bismarck, then north to Minot. About ½ way between Bismarck and Minot we went path the Falkirk Mines in Underwood, ND. We saw huge earthmovers and other equipment but nowhere did we see any signs about what they were mining. I finally had a chance to look it up and found out that they do a form of coal mining.
My maternal grandparents’ families were coal miners in Lancashire, England, so I tend to think of coal mining as being in England, not in the USA. It’s funny how we develop thoughts that may have no basis in reality but rather, their basis is in our history.
When we finally pulled into Minot, we located a Days Inn and went to check in. The clerk asked if we were in town for “The Fair”. We had no idea what she was talking about but apparently we got the last room available. She seemed quite enthusiastic that our room was near the pool and hot tub and I too thought that sounded good. The room was a bit larger than we expected and had 2 queen beds, a desk and couch which was nice.
I went into the bathroom and when I came out I told Ellie that we were in a disability accessible room. When she asked why I said that, I told her that once she saw the toilet she would understand – the toilet was about 6 inches higher than usual. We later found out that our room was usually the last one rented out in case someone needed the larger space as well as the grab bars and a higher seat.
It turned out that “The Fair” was the annual State Fair. Ellie and I believe that EVERY 14 year old in the entire state was staying at our hotel and they all were in the swimming pool outside our door. Fortunately, at 11 pm, the night security staff came by and pulled up the tarp over the pool and kicked out the kids – Quiet at Last!
Sunday was scheduled for the Minot to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan leg.
View Larger Map
TomTom, our GPS, didn’t like Minnesota at all – he lost his satellite signal upon entry into Minnesota and didn’t find it again until we got to North Dakota. Every so often he would pipe up and say “Turn left, Turn left, Turn left” when there was no left turn anywhere in site.
We had no idea which way to turn until we spotted a mini-van that was from Minnesota and that seemed to know where to go. Like sheep, we followed the van and sure enough, the driver did know where he/she was going. A few miles north of where we started, the construction workers were pulling aside the barriers so the van was number one and we were number two on a nice newly paved road.
Instead of taking a diagonal path across North Dakota, we decided to go to Bismarck, then north to Minot. About ½ way between Bismarck and Minot we went path the Falkirk Mines in Underwood, ND. We saw huge earthmovers and other equipment but nowhere did we see any signs about what they were mining. I finally had a chance to look it up and found out that they do a form of coal mining.
My maternal grandparents’ families were coal miners in Lancashire, England, so I tend to think of coal mining as being in England, not in the USA. It’s funny how we develop thoughts that may have no basis in reality but rather, their basis is in our history.
When we finally pulled into Minot, we located a Days Inn and went to check in. The clerk asked if we were in town for “The Fair”. We had no idea what she was talking about but apparently we got the last room available. She seemed quite enthusiastic that our room was near the pool and hot tub and I too thought that sounded good. The room was a bit larger than we expected and had 2 queen beds, a desk and couch which was nice.
I went into the bathroom and when I came out I told Ellie that we were in a disability accessible room. When she asked why I said that, I told her that once she saw the toilet she would understand – the toilet was about 6 inches higher than usual. We later found out that our room was usually the last one rented out in case someone needed the larger space as well as the grab bars and a higher seat.
It turned out that “The Fair” was the annual State Fair. Ellie and I believe that EVERY 14 year old in the entire state was staying at our hotel and they all were in the swimming pool outside our door. Fortunately, at 11 pm, the night security staff came by and pulled up the tarp over the pool and kicked out the kids – Quiet at Last!
Sunday was scheduled for the Minot to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan leg.
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Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Thelma and Louise do Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota
From Rockford, Illinois we were hoping to make it to hoping to make it to Fargo , North Dakota in one day but the Fates decided to intervene. It should have been a 9 hour drive but with two people sharing the driving and with starting out by 7 am, we thought we were all set.
The morning started off with a realization that there were probably toll roads between Rockford and Fargo – we were alerted to this by TomTom, the GPS system we had. We said that we needed to avoid toll roads because neither of us had any US money on us and the banks would be closed until, we assumed, 10 am so we had to rely on my handy-dandy credit cards.
Well, TomTom decided we need to track all over Illinois in order to avoid toll roads, so, not knowing where they did and did not have toll roads, we needed to follow his instructions. Instead of going northwest, we realized we were heading east. About 10 am, we decided to call it quits, find a bank, and get back on the road. Lake Geneva had a very nice US National Bank so we stopped there.
Ellie said to the teller that she needed money from her credit card. The teller tried the first card and said it didn’t work. Ellie handed over the 2nd card and that didn’t work either. Now, you need to understand that Ellie’s husband is a high up mucky muck at his bank and he deals in international credit cards. She had asked him specifically if she could use any of her cards in the US and he had said “Yes”. Well, he lied! It turned out that card 1 had been cancelled and superseded by card 2, then card 2 was cancelled and superseded by card 3 but Ellie has never seen card 3. Also, the credit card that was taken by the cashier yesterday and cut up – well hubby had lost his card a few weeks ago so had called it in as lost or stolen so Ellie’s card had been cancelled too – but he forgot to tell her that! We were thankful that we didn’t get arrested for using a stolen card. I won’t reveal what she is planning for his cards on his next trip!
I gave the teller my card and once again, it worked so we had cash and we were good to go. We headed back on the road and aimed TomTom towards Minneapolis-St. Paul. We also made sure that we got 2 rolls of quarters! We decided that we liked Minnesota for, among other things, their traffic signs – all the roads were very clearly marked and it was easy to figure out where to go.
On our way to Minneapolis-St. Paul, we stopped in Hudson, Wisconsin, to get gas and stretch our legs and grab a coffee at the MacDonald’s next door to the gas station. We sat out on the patio for a bit and talked to a mom with her 2 children, Madison and Hunter. Mom and the kids went into the restaurant for a potty break and we headed to the car. There was an elderly lady in the parking lot who wanted to go to St. Paul but the person who was explaining was not getting through to her at all, even though we could see the road and the turns required to get back on I-94. We said we were heading that way and to follow us so she did. We lost her about St. Paul so we assumed she found her exit and was okay to get home or wherever she was going.
We had decided to head towards Fargo, North Dakota and see how far we got. When we reached St. Cloud, Wisconsin, we had had it so we pulled into the first motel we saw. We went to get out of the car but when I went to grab my purse, I couldn’t find it. I moved everything from the back seat, checked the trunk, and looked under the seats but no purse. I almost had a melt down at this point. I had the only money, the only credit cards that worked, as well as all the registration and insurance for the car! My heart was in my mouth.
We headed into the hotel and approached the desk. There was a lovely young woman named Amelia on the desk. We told her what had happened and she very thoughtfully found the McDonalds near the Minnesota/Wisconsin border and started to call each one. At the third one, they said they had a patio. When she asked about the purse, they confirmed that someone had turned in a purse. Thankfully, we had enough gas to get back to Hudson. We arrived at the McDonalds and got my purse. The person who turned it in hadn’t left their name or number so I don’t know who my guardian angel was but I am most appreciative of their honesty. I like Wisconsin. Ellie and decided we weren’t in any condition to drive any further so we found the nearest motel, checked in and crashed.
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The morning started off with a realization that there were probably toll roads between Rockford and Fargo – we were alerted to this by TomTom, the GPS system we had. We said that we needed to avoid toll roads because neither of us had any US money on us and the banks would be closed until, we assumed, 10 am so we had to rely on my handy-dandy credit cards.
Well, TomTom decided we need to track all over Illinois in order to avoid toll roads, so, not knowing where they did and did not have toll roads, we needed to follow his instructions. Instead of going northwest, we realized we were heading east. About 10 am, we decided to call it quits, find a bank, and get back on the road. Lake Geneva had a very nice US National Bank so we stopped there.
Ellie said to the teller that she needed money from her credit card. The teller tried the first card and said it didn’t work. Ellie handed over the 2nd card and that didn’t work either. Now, you need to understand that Ellie’s husband is a high up mucky muck at his bank and he deals in international credit cards. She had asked him specifically if she could use any of her cards in the US and he had said “Yes”. Well, he lied! It turned out that card 1 had been cancelled and superseded by card 2, then card 2 was cancelled and superseded by card 3 but Ellie has never seen card 3. Also, the credit card that was taken by the cashier yesterday and cut up – well hubby had lost his card a few weeks ago so had called it in as lost or stolen so Ellie’s card had been cancelled too – but he forgot to tell her that! We were thankful that we didn’t get arrested for using a stolen card. I won’t reveal what she is planning for his cards on his next trip!
I gave the teller my card and once again, it worked so we had cash and we were good to go. We headed back on the road and aimed TomTom towards Minneapolis-St. Paul. We also made sure that we got 2 rolls of quarters! We decided that we liked Minnesota for, among other things, their traffic signs – all the roads were very clearly marked and it was easy to figure out where to go.
On our way to Minneapolis-St. Paul, we stopped in Hudson, Wisconsin, to get gas and stretch our legs and grab a coffee at the MacDonald’s next door to the gas station. We sat out on the patio for a bit and talked to a mom with her 2 children, Madison and Hunter. Mom and the kids went into the restaurant for a potty break and we headed to the car. There was an elderly lady in the parking lot who wanted to go to St. Paul but the person who was explaining was not getting through to her at all, even though we could see the road and the turns required to get back on I-94. We said we were heading that way and to follow us so she did. We lost her about St. Paul so we assumed she found her exit and was okay to get home or wherever she was going.
We had decided to head towards Fargo, North Dakota and see how far we got. When we reached St. Cloud, Wisconsin, we had had it so we pulled into the first motel we saw. We went to get out of the car but when I went to grab my purse, I couldn’t find it. I moved everything from the back seat, checked the trunk, and looked under the seats but no purse. I almost had a melt down at this point. I had the only money, the only credit cards that worked, as well as all the registration and insurance for the car! My heart was in my mouth.
We headed into the hotel and approached the desk. There was a lovely young woman named Amelia on the desk. We told her what had happened and she very thoughtfully found the McDonalds near the Minnesota/Wisconsin border and started to call each one. At the third one, they said they had a patio. When she asked about the purse, they confirmed that someone had turned in a purse. Thankfully, we had enough gas to get back to Hudson. We arrived at the McDonalds and got my purse. The person who turned it in hadn’t left their name or number so I don’t know who my guardian angel was but I am most appreciative of their honesty. I like Wisconsin. Ellie and decided we weren’t in any condition to drive any further so we found the nearest motel, checked in and crashed.
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